LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1913, Page 14

LABOUR NOTES

(By " Unionist."} municipaiTelections. The Wellington District Labour Council is in control of this year's municipal elections. It has decided to run a full ticket for the Council, Harbour Board, and Hospital Board. The nnal selection is to be made by plebiscite ballot of all members of bodies in affiliation with the council. The plebiscite will be conducted under the preferential system of voting. The seleotion ballots > olose on 25th February next, following are the names of Labour men who will submit themselves for selection:— City Council.— Mayor, Mr. D. M*Laren (unopposed selection). Councillors — Messrs. W. 8. Bedford, E. J. Carey, C. H. Chapman, W. J. Dalrymple, S. Gordon, W. H. Hampton, A. H. Hindmarsh, A. R. Hornblow, E. Kennedy, Dr. F. M'Keneie, W. Maddieon, Wm, Merntt, L. F. Pulsford, J. Read, W. C. Noot, M. J. Rea,rdon, G, H. Price, E. Tregear, W. Wagstaff, W. T. Young, »nd A. Dobson. Harbour Board.— Messrs. W. S. Bedford, E. J.' Carey, C. H. Chapman, A. H. Hmdmarsh, W. C. Noot, G. H. Price, J. Read, M. J. Reardon, E. Tregear, and W. T. Young, Hospital Board.— Mesdames Donaldson, Holt, and M'Laren, Messrs. W. S. Bedford. E. J. Carey, C. H. Chapman, J. C. Eggieton, R. Foster, S. Gordon, W. H. Hampton, A. H. Hindmarah, Dr M'Kenzie, W. Merritt. W. C. Noot, D. M'Laren, L. F. Pulsford, M. J. Reardon, L. M. Reardon, W. Waterworth, and A. Dobson. For general platform purposes, and as expressive of Labour's aims and principles in oivio government, a, programme of municipal reforms is embodied in th« constitution of the United Labour party. For specifio local purposes, eaoh Labour Council has power to write a supplementary programme. In. th© main, Wellington's additional planks have reference to the tramway service. Most of the proposals in that connection are subject to expert advice on details of expenses and management. There is no bold plank, such as a "universal pentty fare." It is held by some of the prospective Labour candidates that with power to levy a municipal increment, as is done in many of the German oities, the capital cost of utility services could easily be met, and that, afterwards, say, in tho tramway service, the fares could ( be fixed. so as to provide only for working expenses of the system. On the question of local tram fares, the resolution of the Wellington ,'Labour Council is as follows : —That the United Labour party shjs.ll secure a report from a competent expert on the practicability, from a financial standpoint and otherwise, of adopting a universal fare or zone system of fares. That legislation be sought to enable the oity to plaoo interest and sinking fund oharges on rates to be assessed on unimproved land values, and then establishing the lowest universal fare necessary to cover the actual cost of operation The general platform amongst other things advocates : Municipulisation of public utilities ; extension of trading services ; retention of reserves; town planning; assessments of all rates on the unimproved value of land, with special provision for increment land taxation for civio purposes; municipal labour agencies; the day labour system; unification of minor civio bodies; municipal control and inspection of food supplies; and the initiative and referendum on all municipal questions. . On the New South Wales Shortage of Labour Commisiion, there was trade union representation.- In Victoria, -when the enquiry was made, th© trade unions were granted permission to state their side of the case. At present in the Dominion an enquiry is neing made to the order of the- Immigration Department as to the shortage of labour in the Dominion, The press report is the first that the trade unions have heard of the matter. Tkere have been- no invitations to any local union to present its representations. In Australia the unions' representatives' presence «a> the commission and the evidence tendered., ,by the unions' witnesses added considerably to the Weight of the conclusions ' of the Commission. Mr. Peter Bowling's announcement of his intention to contest the Senate elections as an independent candidate is being unfavourably received amongst some of the coal miners' unions. One branch has forwarded the following resolution for discussion at the council meeting of the association:— "That in the opinion of the members of this branch of the Iliawarra. Colliery Employees' Association the action of the general secretary in declaring his intention of opposing the three selected Labour Senate candidates is deserving of the severest censure, and should be repudiated by the district." , There we now 113 unions affiliated with the Sydney fcabour Council, an increase of 34 unions in two years. The secretary's report states ;— "Never in the hie* tory of trade unionism in this State has the movement been in as strong * .position numerically and financially as it » at present, and never were the- prospects for expansion and growth so promieing. A long period of industrial peace and the general prosperity of the country as a whole have had a very benefioial effect on the unions, enabling- them to increase their membership and their financial position considerably. There has also been a general improvement in the wages and conditions of the workers, due to the persistent efforts of the unions, aided by the general prosperity which created a tuf demand for first-class labour." _ Some time back trouble was threatened m the brewery trad© of Australia. His Honour Mr. Justice Miggins ordered a compulsory conference of the parties, and as a result a five years' agreement has been entered into, which will operate in every State where the Federated Liquor Trades Union has branches. The agreement is a, comprehensive one, covering every work in the brewing industry. Following are some of tha provisions of the new award:— -Drirers' hours, 52 per week m all States except South Australia, , where they shall be 50. Wages: Leading hands (employees who have any responsibility for the work of othera), £2 17s per week; shiftmen, £2 Ms, with the exception of New South Waleg, where it shall be £2 16s; employees in laager beer cellars, vacuum room, or vie cellars, £2 17s ; same in South Australia, £Z; driver* of motor trolleys of lees than three tons capacity, £2 17s ; 3 tons or over, £3 ; all other employees in breweries and bottling departments, £2 14s. In Queensland the minimum rates are to be £2 8s during 1913. £2 12s during 1914, and £2 14s for the remainder of the termj driver* of one and two horses in Victoria and Queensland, £2 14a, drive** of one horse in New South Wales £2 14s, and of two horses £2 17s, drivers of on© horse in South Australia £2 14s, and of two hones £2 17s; each additional horse la per day extra in AQ States; grooms, £2 14s. Mr. W. A- Holman, Labour Minister, will not folloxyj? the footsteps of hifi late colleague, MrTTJeeby, as suggested by a section of the Sydney press. He has refuted that suggestion in a message to the Labour movement. The message was sent just prior to his departure for London. It rea«hi: — "I am just as firm in my belief and as enthusiastic in the Labour cause as I was twenty years ago. During these two decades I have lived and breathed the atmosphere of Labour politics. "When I first enlisted ' in the movement I did so because I thought that the Labour party could and would do more for the masses and the middle classes than any other party, and that belief was never more firmly impressed in my soul than it is to-day. "I have no time for a third party. I am Labour to the backbone, and if the time ever comes when th© Labour partyhas no time for me I will go out of politics altogether. As regards the question of machine politics, I believe the Labour machine is a very good machine. It might be improved a little, but, generally speaking, it is good. "As to tho future, who can see into it? I think that we have nothing to fear in. tho future. Our Ministry has done its best for tjiose who placed us in power. We may have made mistakes, but we wilt do bettor next time, and I toittk wa^wilb , cojme again.'.'-